It's National Gardening Day, which in Utah likely means making a happy home for drought-tolerant plants.
Threat level: That includes cacti.
Zoom in: After a week of weeding and mulching — even with leather gloves and long sleeves — I ended up coated in a fur-like layer of glochids that eventually made me look like a measles PSA.
I tried tweezers, duct tape, and peeling glue off my hands like a salon wax. By Sunday afternoon, I was gasping and nauseous from pain.
Then I found a remedy that helped more than ibuprofen, booze, or even cussing: Before bed, I slathered my hands with triple antibiotic ointment and slept in latex gloves.
After a week of waking up to swollen, pinched skin, I could finally make a fist without crying.
Pro tip: If you have to hack off some pads to reach the weeds, it's worth the sacrifice.
